Breaking The Chains
by Princess Arya
Summary: SEQUIL TO DECISIONS. Galbatorix is dead. Eragon has set off on a life changing journey, leaving Alagaesia behind. New friends, a new land, and new enemies.  But then, maybe the enemies aren't as new as you think...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclamer: I own nothing but the plot.**

"Land ahead!" sounded the joyous cry of an elf-sailor. The previously silent ship erupted in chatter and the occasional cheer as the boat continued to plow through the now thinning fog. Any human boat would have crashed or gotten lost long ago, but with the elves keen sight, magic, and mind-sensing abilities, the boat was kept moving and on course. The course they had taken up was simplistic, but bound to find land sooner or later. They had sailed in a near straight line for 3 weeks, and this was the first sight of land since they had embarked. Eragon sat up from his bed and got up, grabbing his sword then nimbly scampering up the stairs. Arya did the same from another part of the boat, and they joined the small gathering of elves crowding around the railing, beholding the still-distant land.

"We have discovered a new land!" Eragon shouted. "Prepare to go ashore!"

Cheers went up from throughout the ship, and the dragons swooped down over head, billowing fire and spinning in the air. Bodies lithely scampered around the boat, gathering supplies and cleaning the ship. Eragon sat down and sighed, another happy smile coming across his face. He seemed to be smiling a lot more recently, due to the lone elf still watching the rapidly approaching land. Many new things were due to Arya, and (though neither would admit it to the other) their relationship was becoming a bit more than just friendship. Needless to say, Eragon still had hope, and h was not about to give that up.

Arya turned, gave him a quick smile, and sat down next to him.

"I never dreamed I would leave Alagaesia. However, I am glad I did." She said as she turned back to the increasing shape of the island.

"As am I. Saphira and Eridor are going over there now, to get a better look at where we may live for the rest of our lives." Eragon replied.

When the ship arrived at the island, boats were cast out and elves quickly paddled to shore. Eragon, Arya, and a few other elves got in the first boat and made it to shore in no time. Everyone jumped out as they arrived, and some supplies were already starting to be unpacked. Soon, they would explore the entirety of the island and prepare a decent shelter for the night.

**3 hours later...**

Eragon bent down in the sand, causing it to crunch under his feet. He ran his fingers over the surface of a foot print, trying to decide how fresh it was. They had been in this new land for a few hours, and this single foot print was the only sign they had found of human life.

"I've found something!" Eragon yelled, earning the attention of the elves around him. They hurried to reach him, eager to see his discovery.

"Go, look for footprints and other signs." Arya said, standing to her feet. "If there is one footprint, there is more." And with that, every one continued their search.

'_Saphira, do you see anything?_' Eragon asked, hoping that a sky view would bring more luck.

_'Nothing so far._' She replied, sounding disappointed. Eragon sighed and wandered farther into the trees.

No one was quite sure where they were. They had landed on this uncharted land not too long ago, and were hoping to find out more about it. The trip there had been fairly uneventful, but not in the least boring. Eragon spent most of his time with Saphira, flying over the ocean. But the few times he wasn't with Saphira, he had been spending time with Arya. They had become closer in the three weeks they spent traveling, and now they were perhaps a bit more than friends, but not mates.

She had become more open to him, telling him of her past and even a little of her time in Gilead. He had only learned a bit about it and it made him want to bring Durza back just to kill him again. It was a wonder she was still alive after being through all that torture.

'_Eragon, stop it. You'll only anger yourself over a shade you have already killed._' Saphira said in a scolding tone. Eragon rolled his eyes, even though she couldn't see him, and kept walking. They saw no more signs of life for quite a while, only occasional deer tracks. Eragon began to let his mind wander over the events of the past few weeks. The times he spent with Arya, and Saphira and swimming in the ocean. He shivered at the thought. The water had been ice cold, freezing him to the bone. He had not been particularly happy with Saphira that day.

Eragon was torn from his thoughts by a dragon cry. Saphira roared somewhere in the distance, sending jolts of fear through Eragon's body.

_'Eragon! Ra'zac! Hurry!_' Saphira shouted.

**A/N: I realize this is the worst possible day to post this story...and I apologize for that! I received it yesterday from my beta, and had full intentions of posting it yesterday! Alas, that is also the day my laptop got a horrible virus...I could do nothing at all. Every time I tried, the screen would go white.. yeah, not good. Anyway, my laptop is "healed now" thus, I am posting today. Anyway...**

**And there it is! A short preview of my new story ****Breaking the Chains****. It's short, but I don't want to give too much away just yet. What do you think? Anyway, I will be posting the first official chapter on the 16****th**** or 17****th****, or whenever I get it back from my beta! *****looks hopefully at beta* And now a note from said beta:**

**B/N: (For the readers) if you really don't like the part up until "3 hours later", sorry. I wrote that. (Unless the author decides to remove it… In which case, this note will most likely be deleted also…) Did I use too many vocab words? LOL. **

**Sorry for the wait, it is (as always) my fault.**

**A/N: Again, I hope you guys liked it! Please review! Reviews help me write faster! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclamer: I own nothing!**

Even before he knew where he was going, Eragon began to run. He pushed himself to go faster, disregarding his screaming legs and feet. Saphira sent him a mental picture of where she was, and the sight scared him almost as much as Galbatorix. He saw Eridor fighting the Ra'zac, tearing them apart and burning several to a crisp. They had only been fighting for a few minutes, and already the dragons had several wounds. What scared him was not the Ra'zac themselves, but the fact that they were here; on this island. Were there worse beasts roaming this innocent looking island? Were there even worse creatures on other islands? Not only the unexpectedness of the Ra'zac, but also their numbers, was a very bad sign. There were even a few lethrblaka, and they did **not** look happy.

The part that scared Eragon the most was how many there were. The Ra'zac number at least fifty, and three lethrblakas. Eragon could hear the elves running after him, shouting cries of confusion. He quickly sought out Arya, trying to gain entrance to her mind. She allowed the contact, so he explained,

_'Ra'zac attacked Saphira and Eridor. We must hurry!'_

_'How many?'_ She asked tentatively.

_'At least fifty, plus three lethrblakas.'_

He felt a slight wave of her fear wash over him, before she composed herself. He felt a mental nod and then she withdrew from the contact, leaving him to focus on running.

Five minutes later he burst into a clearing, a horrifying scene in front of him. The Ra'zac and dragons were locked in combat, but that's not what disturbed the rider. Several human bodies littered the ground, broken and bleeding. Some were even smoking, their skin being burnt into ash. Eragon tore his sight from the scene as his dragon roared again, but this time in pain.

Without hesitation, Eragon drew his sword and ran forward, launching himself into the fight. He struck at the first Ra'zac he reached, catching it off guard. His sword sunk into the flesh, earning a blood curdling scream from the creature. Another one attacked him, trying to impale the rider with it's beak. Eragon jumped to the side, just barely escaping the attack. He lifted his sword, and with a scream brought it down to meet Ra'zac flesh. It only made it half way before a splintering sound filled the air.

Eragon looked up to see the Ra'zac holding a broken staff, glaring at him. It screeched as it attacked the stunned rider. Sharp pain exploded in Eragon's left shoulder as the wood hit him. The cracking sound caused the rider to feel sick. He pulled back, unable to use his left arm. He continued to step back, fleeing form the bird-like creature. Every time Eragon opened his mouth to heal his wound, the Ra'zac would screech, causing him to flinch and forget his words. He was starting to get a head-ache from the loud noise the creature kept making, and it was not helping his ability to think.

The rider's foot bumped into something hard, and it immediately gave way to the blood covered ground. Eragon felt his body falling as he tripped over a stone. His head hit the ground with a loud thud, and then everything faded into a black void.

**POV: ARYA**

Arya grunted as she pulled her sword from the Ra'zac's chest, watching it fall to the ground, dead. She quickly turned to the next one, without wasting time to look around. Her heart was racing from fighting so many Ra'zac for so long, and she was beginning to worry. Where was Eragon? It had been a while since she had last seen him.

'_Don't worry; he can take care of himself.'_ She thought, but couldn't help the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The elf hissed as a sword cut through her thigh, silently cursing for losing concentration. With one smooth blow she beheaded the creature in front of her. She glanced around, and seeing no immediate threat from the Ra'zac, scanned the sky. The lethrblaka were just hovering over the city, showing no signs of attack.

_'Should I confront them?'_ Eridor asked.

_'Not unless they attack first, we do not need to risk it if they are stronger and more in-'_

Arya was cut off by a loud screeching sound, like medal sliding against medal. Arya fell to her knees, dropping her sword and covering her ears. She clinched her teeth and shut her eyes, waiting for the horrible sound to stop. After what seemed the like hours, the sound dissipated.

Slowly, Arya opened her eyes, and then gasped. All the Ra'zac were gone, except for the dead. Where had they all gone? Arya frantically stumbled to her feet, searching for Eragon.

_'Eridor, ask Saphira if she knows where Eragon is.'_

_'We are already with him. Hurry, he is not doing well.' _

Arya spotted the large dragons in no time; they were sitting in the edge of the clearing and surrounding a lone body. She ran to them, careful not to trip over any of the fallen Ra'zac or humans. When she reached the dragons, she could not see Eragon; only his feet were visible. Saphira was sitting next to him, with her head curled over his body. She was humming sadly, and her sides were shaking.

"Saphira?" Arya asked cautiously.

The dragoness hissed and snapped her head up, glaring at the elf. Arya gasped as she saw Eragon. He lay on his back, arms at his side. He had a large gash across his forehead that was bleeding profusely, along with several smaller cuts on his cheeks. Bruises were already forming on his tanned skin, and a few splinters were impaled on his shirt. She took a step forward, earning another hiss from Saphira.

"Will you not let me heal him? Please Saphira." she begged, "He will die if I don't."

The dragon hesitated, but then moved her watching head to lie at her rider's side. Arya walked over, dropping to her knees at Eragon's side. His chest was hardly rising; his breaths were coming in shallow gasps.

"Waise Heill" She whispered.

She closed her eyes as the magic left her body and flowed into his wounds. Sickening cracks filled the air as his bones snapped back into place and his cuts closed. Arya opened her eyes to see the remainder of the elves sitting around her, their eyes fixed on Eragon.

"How is he, Arya Svit-Kona?" One elf asked.

His name was Grendor, if she remembered correctly.

"He will live." Arya responded as she stood.

She walked to Eridor and, after scratching the scales under his chin, grabbed the water skin from his saddle. Briskly, she headed back to Eragon and poured some water in his slightly open mouth. Slowly his eyes fluttered open, revealing his milk chocolate eyes. He groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

"What happened?" He croaked, but his voice was rough and cracking.

Arya slowly explained everything that had come to pass, starting with arriving to fight the Ra'zac, and ending with the horrible screeching noise.

"Do you have any idea what it could be?" He asked.

Arya shook her head. He nodded, but his eyes were staring into the woods, as if he saw something. Suddenly Eragon was on his feet, sword in hand. Arya followed suit, as did the other elves, although she could not ascertain what was there. She had not seen anything as of yet.

"Come on out." Eragon said.

A small boy, no older than ten, ran out of the woods and threw himself at Eragon's feet. He was shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face.

"Please don't hurt me!" He wailed, his voice thick with an accent unknown to Arya. "I won't tell anyone what I saw, I promise!"

Arya eyed the boy, looking him over head to toe. His tousled blonde hair had caked dirt and blood matted in it, his face covered with mud. His clothes were in no better condition, and looked like he had been thrown into a mud pile. Arya noted the blood covered dagger hanging at his waist, and wondered what part he had played in this.

"Stand." Eragon commanded, lowering his sword.

The boy hobbled to his feet, falling to his knees once before righting himself. He was no longer crying, but his eyes still shone with the tears threatening to fall. His eyes darted from dragon to dragon, eying them with such suspicion, making Arya wonder if he had ever seen one.

"What is your name?" Eragon asked kindly.

"Gendric," Came the feeble reply. "Sir," He added quickly as an after-thought.

"Where are we?"

"Why, in Zlandic, sir." The boy had stopped shaking, but his lips still trembled and his eyes portrayed his confusion.

"Why were you fighting the Ra'zac?"

The boy's eyes widened in confusion, and he cocked his head slightly. "Meaning no disrespect sir, but what are Ra'zac?"

"The creatures we were just fighting." Eragon said, raising an eyebrow.

Arya did the same, a small smile tugging on the corners of her lips. The boy smiled, realization crossing his face.

"The Dukala? That is hard for me to explain sir, I don't know much myself. The adults won't tell us 'till we've grown. Would you please follow me to our king? He can explain better than I." Gendric said eagerly.

Arya glanced at Eragon, noting his facial expression. His eyes glistened with curiosity, reminding her of the curious farm boy she knew from not that long ago. Eragon nodded and stepped forward, following the Gendric into the trees. Arya hesitated, but followed tentatively. Stepping into the shaded woods, she heard Eridor growl behind her as she felt waves of irritation coming from their mental link.

_'I will be back soon.'_ She reassured her dragon, smiling at his discomfort.

_'Could I not come with you?'_ He asked, almost pleading her to say he could.

_'No, I think not. Judging by the way Gendric was looking at you and Saphira, I do not think they have seen dragons. Stay with your mate, I will be back soon.'_

Eridor sighed but obeyed, settling down next to Saphira. Arya turned her attention back to her path, realizing with dismay that she had fallen behind. She broke into a slight jog, yet her feet made no sound on the leaf covered ground.

For the better part of the next hour they followed the boy through the woods, winding around trees and ponds. They came to the side of a mountain, covered in carvings and caves. Gendric lead them past it, curving around the mountain. As they left it behind, Arya couldn't help but wonder what the pictures meant, or (more importantly) what the caves held. As they walked back into the woods, Arya began to doubt Gendric knew where he was going. She sighed and, just as she was about to open her mouth to protest, they broke from the woods; then walked into the sight of a large city.

Buildings covered about a fifty foot diameter from left to right, each different from the next. Some were brown, where others were black. Some had straw roofs while others had shingled. Smoke rose from several of the chimneys, filling the air with a grayish tint. The building that caught Arya's eye was the tallest one in the center of the city. It was pure white with intricately decorated ivy crawling up the side. Several towers rose from the first floor of the castle, raising high into the air until converging in to a sharp point.

Thin slants emerged from the tops of the towers, one on top of the other until it created a fan shape spiraling up to the top. At the base was a garden, filled with the brightest colored flowers Arya had ever seen. People garbed in the finest clothes wandered about the flowers, talking amongst themselves. Occasionally people would glace at them with curiosity only to turn to their neighbor to return to their conversation. Arya suddenly realized Gendric was leading them inside the large building, presumably to the king. She took a deep breath of fresh air, mentally preparing herself for what would come next.

**A/N: How do you like it? I'm not entirely sure about this yet...**

**NOTICE: I realize this is different than book 4. That is because this is the sequel to my fan fiction Decisions. (Did anyone notice that there was a chapter in book 4 called decisions? I thought that was funny! :)) Eridors name is not Firnen because when I named the green dragon Inheritance was not out yet. Arya is with Eragon because, in my fan fiction, she turned down the elven throne when Islanzadi died.  
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**Is anyone else mad about Inheritance? I feel like CP was forcing his words and it seemed kinda rushed..oh and lets not forget about the accursed ending! IT WAS A HORIBLE ENDING!**

**Please comment, it means the world to me! Tell me what you think! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Eragon, or anything to do with Inheritance.**

The long hallways lasted for what felt like forever to Eragon. Each step took them closer to the King of Zlandic, this Eragon had to remember. One thing the rider did notice was the patterns on the doors, they were obviously hand carved and handled with care.

"Here we are." Gendric announced, stopping in front of two especially large doors. With a grunt the boy pushed them open, revealing a throne room. The room itself was plain, just a red carpet, which lead to the small flight of steps. On top of the steps sat a single, golden throne. A table also sat in the corner, covered with several pieces of paper. The windows, being the only other decoration in the small room, sat on each wall, red curtains hanging to the side.

A man sat on the throne, garbed in the finest robe. Red was the fabric, with gold trimming. It reached down to his feet, covering his clean toes. A golden crown sat on top of his head, smoothing his long gray hair. A silver beard covered his chin and upper lip, and most of his cheeks.

"Gendric, my son," The man said, lifting his eyes to face them, "Who have you brought for a visit?"

"These are travlers Father, they fought the Durkala!" Gendric ran to his fathers side, resting a hand on his shoulder. His face was that of pure joy and excitement, eyes wide and a smile tugged on his rosy lips.

"Did they now? And what are your names?" He asked, turning to Eragon and Arya. Eragon glanced at the elf before answering,

"My name is Eragon Bromsson, and this is Arya. We have come in search of new land, and here we have found it."

The man stiffened slightly, raising an eyebrow, "I see, and how do I know you are not one of the Durkalas own? Their trickery has gotten stronger in the past moons." The kings eyes narrowed as he stared at them, as if trying to decide their intentions.

"We are no threat, I swear to you." Eragon answered, taking a single step forward, "If we were as such why would we fight and kill our own kind?" The king seemed to relax slightly at his words, releasing a breath through his nose, "Their trickery you say, what does that mean?"

"For a stranger you are quite bold, but I shall grant an answer to your question." The king stood, walking to the table in the corner, "We used to live in peace with the Durkala, in fact they lived amongst us. A few moons ago there was an attack on the eastern side of town, the Durkala had turned against us.

"Nothing was done to provoke their hostel nature, it surprised us greatly. We were unprepared for their attack, for we lost many of our people that day. Everyday we loose more, and we still are not strong enough to fight them.

"That's why we made the pact with them decades ago, we knew they were stronger. We knew that if ever they decided we were to pesky to live with we would no doubt pass into the void. With each passing day I fear the death of my people, but I can do nothing to save them." The king rested a hand on the papers, wiping a hand over his face. The sorrow that shown in his eyes tugged at Eragons heart, prevoking him to do something.

The man continued, "I fear for my son, my only son. He insists on fighting, even when I tell him naught. I see he was involved in today's battle, was he not? His dagger is still covered by the blood of those accursed creatures."

"Father, I am fine." Gendric insisted, walking to his fathers side, "See, no cuts this time, only a bruise, see?" The boy lifted his right sleeve to reveal a nasty bruise that was only starting to form. A large circle of brown with green spots rested just above his wrist, and ended just before the elbow.

"May I see it?" Eragon asked, the boy nodded. Slowly, Eragon walked to Gendrics side, taking his arm in hand. "Wasie Heil" The words slipped past his lips with ease, for it had been used many a time. The discolored splotch started to fade, until there was nothing but flawless skin left on the boys arm.

"How...How did you do that? Are you some kind of magician here to take over my kingdom?" The king stuttered, pulling his son away from the riders grasp. He quickly pushed Gendric behid his back, ignoring his sons protests.

Sighing, Eragon stood, taking a few steps back. The king looked truly afraid of Eragon, that much was evident from the look in his eyes.

"Naught, Eka ai fricai un Shur'tugal." Eragon said slowly, immediately the kings expression softened. Although he knew not exactly what he said, he understood he meant no harm.

"And your friend?"

"Eka ai fricai un Shur'tugal." Arya repeated, walking to Eragons side.

"What are you two?" Although he knew they didn't mean harm, his voice still shook with fear, "What are your intentions?"

"We are dragon riders, users of magic and companions of dragons. Our intentions are our own, although if I am not mistaken you need help. We shall gladly lend it, if you will except it." Eragon answered, glancing at Arya. She nodded in approval, "We have several elves with us, they also bear the gift of using magic. They will help fight as well, if you will allow it."

The king nodded slowly, as if taking it all in. His face had gone slightly paler since they had arrived, most likely from the fear he had just experienced.

"Your help would be greatly appreciated, oh Dragon Rider." He bowed his head slightly, looking at his son who was staring with wide eyes, "Gendric, go see if your mother needs help with in the kitchen, eh? Maybe you could cut a potato or two."

"Yes father." Gendric groaned, shuffling from the room. Once the door had closed the whole way, a hollow thud echoing the room, the king turned back to the riders.

"Dragon riders you say?" He chuckled lightly, "They have been myths here, dragons I mean. Magic as well, no one here has ever used anything of the sort."

Eragon tilted his head slightly, "That would make since, we learned magic from the elves, which as far as we know only live in Alagaisia and the land they originally came from. It was there, in Alagaisia, that men and elves were bound to the dragons, allowing us to become one."

"This is still so much to take in." The king leaned on the table for support, "I dare say my head is spinning with the new information." They all chuckled, "Do you have a place to stay? You can stay in the castle if not."

"I'm afraid there are quite a few of us." Aria said, "We do have supplies to make a camp though. Would it be alright if we pitched our tents outside the city?"

"That would be fine, I will send for you tomorrow when I have arranged a meeting with the city officials. If, of course, that is to your sadisfaction?"

"Of course, your majesty." Aria said, dipping her head so that her black hair covered her face.

The king let out a long, deep chuckle. One that sent shivers down Eragons spine, "If I'm not mistaken it would be no task for you to kill me on the spot. There is no need for formalities rider, I will have nothing of the sort."

"With respect your majesty, you are our superior." Eragon explained, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "We always recognize authority and will treat you with the requited standers." Arya nodded briskly, also fighting a smile.

"I see." He replied, sucking in a breath. It remained silent after that, an awkward silence where one does not know what to say. One where a person is afraid to scratch the itch on their nose or even breath.

After what seemed like an eternity the large door creaked open, shattering the silence that filled the air. A young woman walked in hesitantly, she couldn't have been more than twenty years of age.

She had long black hair and a white dress that reatched the floor. When she noticed the riders, her eyes widened in suprise. A tint of red invaded her cheeks as she dipped her head,

"I am sorry to dissrupt you, your highness." She said meekly.

"That is alright, Evangaline." He said with a smile, "What is it you need?"

"Your wife wishes to see you, sir."

"Tell her I'll be there shortly." She nodded again before running out the door, shutting the door behind her, "Forgive me, riders, but I must bid you farewell."

"Of course." Arya said, already heading for the door.

**A/N: Sorry it took so long! I swear my computer didn't want to be fixed! But $120 later here I am, back in the world of fan fiction! **

**Also, this chapter hasen't been edited! I sent this chapter to my beta on January third and I haven't received a reply...So I decided to go ahead and post for you guys.**

**Sorry if my writing is sucky now! I haven't written in FOREVER so I'm a little out of practice...**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think? I love feedback, espically constructive critisism! **

**Also, sorry if the spacing is messed up. fanfiction is being moody and won't let me upload from open office so I had to type on a different thing and it's all ugh! So...yeah, you get the picture. **


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